I love necklaces. The perfect necklace can make an outfit go from “eh” to “ahhh.” But if you’re anything like me, when you get home and make a beeline for those yoga pants and t-shirt (and by that I actually mean rushing to take off that uncomfortable bra – you know it’s true!), your necklaces end up in a pile on your dresser.

This is bad. Do not be like this girl (me).

Etsy has a ton of necklace holder options that are really adorable, but I wanted something simple that I could tailor to my own tastes and needs…and wallet. Overall, I spent $33 on supplies, and that includes a hand saw for ~$15 which will come in handy (<–see what I did there?) for other projects. Continue reading →

Happy Friday! A few days ago I was checking out a new list of dates and locations that the lovely ladies of Bourbon and Boweties and Moon and Lola had posted for their tour. The stars aligned perfectly because I was planning to visit my sister in Charleston the same day they were making an appearance at Tres Carmen Boutique! This boutique is a little gem on James Island – I had to tear myself away from an adorable pineapple top and keep my eye on the prize – a bangle!

It was so much fun meeting Carley of Bourbon and Boweties and Kelly of Moon and Lola (and the raspberry moscato sangria at the boutique was amazing! We really should have begged for the recipe.). I’m even happier than before to support these two ladies because they’ve taken so much time to tour and hang out with their fans, even powering on after a scary-looking crash. Proof that you can’t keep a good, southern woman down! It’s great to know that the creators of the brands you love are just as sweet and wonderful as they seem in pictures and articles.

I limited myself to one bangle from the new collection, but considering how many times I said “ooh, I like this one,” several more bangles are in my near future.

A new tiger’s eye “A” bangle for me, and a palm tree for E.

Be on the lookout for an entire post on bangles soon! Have an amazing weekend!

Like most people, I love Charleston, South Carolina. Luckily for me, I have family there, and my sister (I’ll refer to her as “E”) just moved there this summer (lucky dog!), so I have plenty of reasons to visit. After getting my sister settled, I stuck around for about a month (a huge advantage to teaching at a college) and gained plenty of weight trying out all the food stops. I regret nothing.

One of the great places we tried was 82 Queen. We’d had our brunch eyes on this cute little place, so after church one Sunday, we headed down to the historic French Quarter.

This Monday is particularly a struggle because my half marathon training officially begins this week (yikes). Back in January my sister and I thought it would be a great idea to sign up for our second half marathon. With doughnut in hand, I registered for the Rock ‘n Roll Savannah race that takes place in November. Last year we survived the Rock ‘n Roll Nashville half marathon (I’ve never seen so many hills – and I’m from the mountains…), and I guess the pain of that race momentarily escaped us.

I’m certainly not the fastest, and I don’t think anyone will ever look at me and say, “oh, she’s definitely a runner,” but I try, and that’s what counts, right? However, ever since that last half, I’ve really struggled with running. I’m not sure if it’s mental, or if I’m just getting old (what happened to motivational Monday??). Either way, I’m determined to use this training to make me tougher, as an escape from the craziness of work/life, for my own health, and hopefully beat my time from Nashville!

I’ll be using the Sub 2:30 Half Marathon training plan on runkeeper.com if you’re interested or would like to find a plan to suit your running skills. Look me up (Autumn L.) and we can be running pals (i.e., keep me accountable)!

If you have any helpful tips for staying motivated during the training process, I’d love to hear them. Have a great Monday and happy running!

For almost a year my sister has been saying, “you need to start a blog.” I’m not sure if she thinks I need a hobby, or if she actually thinks I have interesting ideas. Either way, I finally got the nerve to set one up.

Here’s a little bit about me that might give you an idea of what to expect from my posts (although to be completely honest, I’m not even sure at this point what to expect!): I have a Ph.D. in early and nineteenth-century American literature and teach English at a small, public university in North Carolina. I love to eat. A lot. I especially love to eat when I’m traveling. Along with eating, I enjoy cooking and baking, and I hope blogging will inspire me to attempt new recipes. To counterbalance the eating, I make myself run. I enjoy clothes and accessories – I like to think of getting dressed as a fun art project – and I love the lady who runs our family, Biscotti the Scottish Terrier, who will definitely be making guest appearances.

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